This invention relates in general to automotive seat assemblies and, more specifically, to the seat back of a seat assembly.
To improve both the comfort and performance of seat belt restraint systems, seat assemblies are being developed which have the belt restraint system mounted to the seat rather than to the vehicle body. This improves comfort and performance of the restraint system by maintaining the belt anchor points in fixed positions relative to the seat occupant, regardless of the adjusted position of the seat within the vehicle body.
When the seat belt restraint system is mounted to a seat as opposed to being mounted directly to the vehicle body adjacent the seat, it is necessary for the shoulder belt to be packaged within the seat back. Examples of such systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,663,057 to Lohr et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,233 to Ernst; U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,231 to Cremer et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,226 to Schmale; U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,941 to Halse et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,053 to Thompson et al. The packaging of the shoulder belt assembly in the seat back must coordinate with the trim components placed upon the seat back for aesthetic purposes and for the comfort of the occupant. One deficiency with these types of seat belt restraint systems is that the occupant may have difficulty accessing the shoulder belt extending from the seat back.